Innovation Compass points Direct Path to the Highlights of K 2010 Düsseldorf

Like no other trade fair in the plastics and rubber sector K 2010 offers the largest and densest portfolio of products and innovations. The large proportion of international companies among the 3,000 exhibitors guarantees that all ranges on display reflect the global state of the art.

To make it even easier to locate the great number of new developments in the field a tool will be activated for K 2010 for the first time now that will point the way to all highlights – the Innovation Compass. This tool at www.k-online.de/Innovation Compass will allow all those attending to prepare a customised visit to K 2010 in ensuring they can selectively head for the innovations of interest to them.

Approximately six weeks before the trade fair the Innovation Compass will go live on the web. The compass is a search matrix for innovations providing marked improvements or even basic changes and, hence, real competitive edge.

Exhibitors must fulfil the following specific admission criteria: Their company is an exhibitor or co-exhibitor at K 2010. The exhibitor states which innovation theme his exhibit relates to and what specific product or process he enhances this theme with (e.g. ----> Theme: “Applications and Processing of Standard Plastics” ----> Solution: “Targeted Texture Generation” ----> Target Market: “Automotive/Aviation and Aerospace” ----> Exhibit Description). The Exhibitor states reasons why the named product constitutes an innovation in terms of the said theme (max. 5 sentences / approx. 600 characters / www link to exhibitor’s website) The named product is on show as an exhibit at the trade fair and the location is stated (Hall/Aisle/Stand Number, e.g. B. 10 A 99) The exhibitor should, where applicable, state publications and patents, in particular (max. 5 sentences / approx. 600 characters) The exhibitor claims intellectual property of the innovation and can use a widely accepted seal to this effect. Notifications/entries to be made in German and English.

For the development and implementation of the Innovation Compass Messe Düsseldorf and the Exhibitors’ Advisory Council of K 2010 will be supported by the newly established Scientific Council of the event. Prof. Dr. Volker Altstädt of the Bayreuth University, Prof. Dr. Hartwig Höcker, who worked at RWTH Aachen before achieving emeritus status, Prof. Dr. Matthias Rehahn of the Technical University of Darmstadt and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Johannes Wortberg from Duisburg-Essen University have together defined the guiding themes of the search matrix. They were supported here by the representatives of the associations acting as conceptual sponsors of K-Düsseldorf .

The guiding themes of the Innovation Compass describe the products and processes that will sustainably determine market developments in the plastics and rubber industries over the next few years.

In the area of raw materials/auxiliaries these include:

• Optimisation of standard plastics and rubber
  
• Plastics from renewable raw materials
  
• Plastic and rubber modifications involving nano-scale particles
  
• Functionalised plastics, components and surfaces
  
• Plastic and rubber for lightweight engineering, such as foams
  
• Fibre composite materials and their processing
  
• Materials – hybrids
  

The area of Machinery/Equipment covers the following segments:

• Cutting of production times
  
• Increased throughput
  
• Shortening of production changeover/resetting times
  
• Integrated manufacturing processes
  
• Optimisation of part processes
  
• Energy efficiency
  
• Material efficiency
  

The Innovation Compass offers a platform for presenting groundbreaking exhibits and top achievements. Furthermore, the k-online.de-Portal continues to list the complete range of products and services presented at the trade fair in the highly frequented “Online Showroom” ---> Companies & Products..

From July 2010 exhibiting firms can submit their registrations for the Innovation Compass; we ensure that they will only go live from mid-September 2010 - while the “Online Showroom” offers non-stop exposure through relevant releases.

For further details on the Innovation Compass exhibitors at K 2010 can contact Messe Düsseldorf GmbH, Ludwig König, Tel. ++49-(0)211-4560655, Email KoenigL@messe-duesseldorf.de